Stretching and Staying in Shape

We work in a physically challenging industry, it’s not enough to just build muscle you need to achieve an overall fitness and in doing that you need to think about flexibility, too. Stretching is one way that can help.

You may think of stretching as something performed only by athletes like runners or gymnasts. But we all need to stretch in order to protect our mobility and independence. A lot of people don't understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be performed daily.

Why stretching is important

Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.  Your reaction time to arm and leg movment is also deminished without excersise and stretching (Ex. Reacting to a fall).  And stretching also improves general range of motion.

For example, sitting in a vehicle or a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking and when working on uneven surfaces this can be a dangerous situation. Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as needing to move quickly away from something, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury.

Regular stretching keeps muscles long, lean, and flexible, and this means that exertion won't put too much force on the muscle itself. This will also help you with balance problems to avoid falls.

Where to start

With a body full of muscles, the idea of daily stretching may seem overwhelming. But you don't have to stretch every muscle you have. "The areas critical for mobility are in your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh." Stretching your shoulders, neck, and lower back is also is beneficial. Aim for a program of daily stretches or at least three or four times per week.

Sometimes you can find a gym with a physical therapist on staff who can assess your muscle strength and tailor a stretching program to fit your needs. If you have chronic conditions like arthritis, you'll want to clear a new stretching regimen with your doctor before you start.

The increasing effect of stretching

Stretching once today won't magically give you perfect flexibility. You'll need to do it over time and remain committed to the process. It may have taken you many months to get tight muscles, so you're not going to be perfectly flexible after one or two days. It takes weeks to months to get truly flexible, and you'll have to continue working on it to maintain it.

A hamstring stretch will keep the muscles in the back of your thigh flexible. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Slide your hands down your legs until you feel a slight burning sensation. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to a sitting position.

Always strive for proper execution

We used to believe that stretching was necessary to warm up the muscles and prepare them for activity. However, mounting research has shown that stretching the muscles before they're warmed up can actually harm them. When everything is cold, the fibers aren't prepared and may be damaged. If you do some calisthenics first, you'll get blood flow to the area, and that makes the tissue more pliable and willing to change. All it takes to warm up the muscles before stretching is five to 10 minutes of light activity, such as running in place, jumping jacks or a quick walk. You can also stretch after an aerobic or weight-training workout.

Hold a stretch for 30 seconds. Don't bounce, which can cause injury. You'll feel tension during a stretch, but you should not feel pain. If you do, there may be an injury or damage in the tissue. Stop stretching that muscle and talk to your doctor.

“Stretching and staying in shape is a daily regimen that gives you energy and make you feel better about yourself. Remember, always stick with it and never give up on yourself!”

Want more information on stretching, here are some great resources:

February Near Misses

The construction office had a significant amount of traffic in and out on a daily bases and damaged  the vinyl flooring.  The other day while visitors where in the office an employee came in and he almost tripped upon entry due to the floor vinyl peeling up.  The vinyl was very bad in the entry of the office, therefore I cut an area 4' x 8' and used Duct Tape to secure the edges down to the plywood sub-flooring.

Sandblasting crew didn't have CO monitor in blasting hood during blasting process.  Crew must show inspector daily that CO monitor is calibrated, working and installed in hood prior to performing blasting task.

Contractor was using a VauWorx attachment while offloading16 inch pipe from a haul truck, the attachment lost suction and caused the pipe to free-fall, bouncing off the pipe trailer and onto the ground. After investigating the incident the contractor determined the cause of loss of suction from the Vac attachment was from the protective ropes that are place around the pipe when hauling to protect the coating on the pipe. The preventive action to correct this from occurring again, contractor bought a long-handled tree saw to cut the rope prior to the pipe being offloaded. The action proved to be successful due to off-loading several more trucks following this procedure with a 100% success outcome.

Crew was loading super sacks of sandbags at their yard to take to the job site. Gooseneck trailer was covered in 3 inches of snow and contractor began loading super sacks. I stopped work and had the crew remove all the snow and ice from the gooseneck prior to loading. Went over the JSA and added the hazard and initiated another tailgate meeting.

Ice - The parking lot on-site was extremely icy.  Had the contractor spread sand and stone to prevent slips trips and falls. Advised all contractors to use three points of contact when possible.

Contractor using a crane to move generator. The crane company sent out a spreader bar that was homemade and not rated. I stopped work advised the contractor that the spreader bar is not rated and to supply a rated spreader bar to make lift.

Contractor was set to hydrovac holes for sonotube and the pressure washer hose did not have whip-check installed stop work shut down hydrovac truck and installed a whip-check. I went over the daily inspection form from that morning and it was stated that the whip-check was installed. I asked the foreman who filled out the inspection form and he stated it was a new employee , second day working in the field. I asked the new guy if he knew what a whip-check was he stated he did not. I advised the foreman and superintendent that the new employee will need retraining.

Contractor was using a forklift without a spotter. Stopped work. Asked for the JSA. Task was listed "Using forklift to unload and move equipment"; Hazard "backing into equipment, or caught in between"; solution "use spotter".

Commended the crew with identifying "caught in between" and the whole line straight across, Task-Hazard-Mitigation. I asked with an excellent JSA line and everyone had signed the JSA, who had seen the work going on and because of the distance to go stop the work, did not stop the work? 2 individuals identified with this. I asked who was afraid to say something, because of being chastised, or embarrassed? No responses. I asked the operator if he had thought of the Hazards associated with this behavior. They stated yes and he was being careful. They stated that this was not a high priority on the company's safety list. I instructed the foreman that it would be a requirement to work on this site, this is to be followed.

Observed spoil material being placed to close to the edge of a bell hole. Reminded the contractor of the OSHA regulations to have a minimum of 2 feet from leading edge of bell-hole for spoil or any other material or equipment.

We are pleased to announce that we have partnered up with Boot Barn to offer all Applied Consultants inspectors a 15% discount on all purchases “work related” from the Boot Barn, Nation Wide. Be sure to tell them you work for Applied Consultants and use the key word: “Safety First” to receive the discount. 

 

February Winners

Platinum Mauricio Archundia
Gold     Sonney Robinson
Silver     Craig Rawle
Bronze     Curtis Parr
Bronze     Kris Haraldson

If you have been selected as newsletter Q&A winner, please click this link and select your prize(s) from your winning category.

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